Process of manufacturing gas.



No. 680,782. Patented Aug. 20. MN. W. B. KNUX.

PROCESS 0F MANUFAGTURINE GAS.

(Application filed Oct. 5, 1900. (No Model.)

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WILLIAM JOIIN KNOX, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, OF SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IEatent No. 680,782, dated August 20, 1901.

Application filed October 5, 1900.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J OHN KNOX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, havein vented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of the Manufacture of Gas, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved process for the manufacture of gas; and to this end my invention consists in a process whereby fuel-gas or illuminating-gas, or both, may be economically produced from any carbonaceous material, such as coal,coke, wood, charcoal, sewage, garbage, or any material consisting largely of carbon or carbonaceous material, either with or Without contained water.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View, and Fig. 2 an elevation, of an apparatus for carrying out my improved process.

The object of any economical process for the production of gas should be the conversion of the fuel into gas of high calorific value with the smallest possible loss of the original heat energy of the fuel. This object has notbeen attained in practice up to the present time. For example,bench-gas ordestructivelydistilled gas, although high in calorific value, contains but a small percentage of the original heat energy of the fuel, and hence the processis not economical. On the other hand, producer-gas or gas made by incomplete combustion of fuel, although retaining a large percentage of the total heat value of the original fuel, is so low in calorific value per unit of volume as to be useless except for immediate local consumption, whereby its sensible heat may be utilized-"and it carries so large a percentage of inert gasthat is, nitrogenthat regenerative furnaces must be used to recover the waste heat from its products of combustion and to give a sufficiently high flame temperature.

VVater-gas as now manufactured is, like distilled gas, sufficiently high in calorific power and intensity; but in the process too large a percentage of the heat energy of the original fuel is lost to permit of an economical production of gas. This loss is due to the fact that the reaction represented by the decomposition of steam in the presence of carbon is Hence the temperature of the endothermic.

Serial No. 32,115. (No specimens.)

producer is lowered by the decomposition of the steam to a point at which reaction practically ceases to take place, and the process must be periodically interrupted for the purpose of providing a supply of heat to be employed during the next period of gas-making. This heat is supplied by a very uneconomical process-that is, by blowing air through the bed of fuel, generating large volumes of prodnets of incomplete combustion, which leave the producer at a high temperature. The volume of these products is so large compared with the volume of water-gas that they carry the larger part of the original value of the fuel in the producer, and the result is that the process requires the generation of a large quantity of low-grade producer-gas in order to produce a small quantity of Water-gas. This producer-gas leaves the producer at a Very high temperature, and therefore carries off a large quantity of sensible heat, and this waste gas cannot ordinarily be utilized on account of its large volume and poor quality. Therefore the quantity of valuable gas generated in a Water-gas plant is insignificant as compared with the quantity of worthless producer-gas, and it may be said that in such Water-gas plants the main product is wasted and the smaller quantity only is utilized.

It maybe stated generally that the effi cient generation of heat within a prod ucerdesigned for gas-making is inherently unattainable by the combustion of its carbonaceous contents. The very fact that the depth of fuel is sufficient to decompose the carbonic acid liberated in the generation of gas and convert it into carbon monoxid prevents the complete combustion of the carbon in the producer when blowing up to incandescence.

The incomplete combustion of unit weight of carbon-that is, its conversion into carbon monoxid-liberates as sensible heat only thirty per cent. of the total heat energy of the fuel. The remaining seventy per cent. passes ofi undeveloped in the products of such incomplete combustion, together with a large portion of the thirty per cent. liberated as sensible heat within the producer. This loss is due to the large volume and high temperature of the waste gases. It is easily seen that this loss of sensible heat is large when it is considered that, based on the amount of heat liberated, the products of in complete combustion are twice as large in volume as the products of complete combustion, and their temperature is necessarily nearly as high as the temperature of the fuel in the producer.

My improved process is especially applicable to the manufacture of gas, in which a supply of heat is necessary for the purpose of counterbalancing the loss of heat due to endothermic reaction within the generator, and the principal object of my invention is to economically supply such heat.

My invention is applicable to the manufacture of any gas in the generation of which reaction is endothermic, such as water-gas or destructivelydistilled gas; but it is specially applicable in the manufacture of watergas, and comprises a new and improved process in which a combustible gas is employed as a carrier for introducing heat into the producer and for lowering the temperature of dissociation.

In the manufacture of water-gas the reaction between the carbon and its chemical equivalent of steam is endothermic. If the heat required for the reaction could be supplied to the producer by superheating such equivalent of steam economically to such a temperature that it would contain heat energy enough for its own decomposition, we would have a better process than the one mentioned above; but as the specific heat of steam is only approximately 0.4805 the total thermal capacity of the carbon equivalent at practicable temperatures is not sufiicient to carry the necessary amount of heat for the reaction, and hence any process involving the superheating of such steam would be impracticable on account of what may be called the amount of heat-carrying capacity of the steam.

In accordance with myinvention I provide a carrier for the introduction of heat energy into the producer, which consists of alreadyproduced gas or gas produced in the gasmaking process within the system, and by means of which the process may be carried out at practicable temperatures and without limitation by the specific thermal capacity of the carrier, thequantity of heat carried depending on the volume of the carrier only, at any desired temperature.

It will be readily seen that in providing a carrier of sufficient capacity to convey a required amount of heat three factors are to be considered-that is, specific heat, practicable working temperature, and volume or mass. I obtain sufficient thermal capacity by an increase of mass, thus obviating the difficulties due to the limitations of temperature and specific heat.

to the steam to carry the required heat energy at the most desirable working temperature I also secure another important advantagenamely, the lowering of the temperature of dissociation.

In thus adding a sufficient amount of already-produced gas In practice I have found that by mingling with the steam a quantity of gas-such, for instance, as that being circulated-the dissociation of the steam in the presence of carbon takes place more readily, and thus the temperature at which the operation may be carried on may be lowered several hundred degrees. This is probably due to the fact that the dilution of the steam by the other gas increases the separation of the molecules of the steam.

Another important advantage is found in the application of this process to destructive distillation. Instead of supplying heat to the generator through thick walls, as in the bench-gas process, I am enabled to use a generator with walls sufficientl y thick to prevent radiation and by passing a large volume of already-produced gas through the material undergoing destructive distillation to remove the volatile portions more thoroughly and by regulating the temperature of the outgoing gas to control the degree to which the breaking up of the hydrocarbons shall be carried. This application of my process is of special ad vantage in destructive distillation in connection with the production of water=gas.

In carrying out this invention a sufficient amount of gas taken from gas already produced is passed through a heater or stove of efficient form, in passing through which it absorbs heat in sufficient quantity and of proper temperature to secure the desired reaction in the producer.

In the ordinary application of my invention the gas is circulated from the producer through a cooling device or steam-generator, and a volume of gas large enough to carry sufficient heat energy to accomplish the dissociation of the desired amount of steam is transmitted through a stove or superheater back into the producer. The steam necessary for the reaction in the producer is gen erated within the system by the sensible heat of the gas passing from the producer. A scrubber may be employed in which a spray of water is directly evaporated by the sensible heat ofthe outgoing gas before it is returned to the superheater, the mixture of gas and steam then being delivered to the superheater and passed through it to the producer.

The heater, stove, or superheater in which heat is supplied to the carrier may be heated by fuel from any convenient source.

In another application filed by me November 12, 1900, Serial No. 36,265, I have described and claimed certain features described in this application. In that application and in an application, Serial No. 36,443, filed November 14, 1900, another form of apparatus is shown involving the alternate heating and cooling of the gases, and broad claims are made to the feature of heating the circulating gas before delivering it to the producers and abstracting heat therefrom after it passes from the producers, whereby its temperature is reduced to the point required for the economical reheating in the stoves.

In this application I have claimed the process herein described. In another application, Serial No. 36,269, filed by me November 12, 1900, claims are made to the apparatus described herein.

In the drawings, which illustrate an application of my invention, the producer 1 is connected by means of a pipe 2 with a scrubber and steam-generator3. Thisscrubberisconnected by means of a pipe l with a scrubber and condenser 55, which is preferably kept at a lower temperature than 212 Fahrenheit, so that any steam that may enter the scrubber 5 will be condensed and pumped into the scrubber 3. After its passage through the scrubber 5 the gas passes off through the pipe 6 to a holder or distributing-main. iVateris supplied to the scrubber 5 through a pipe 7 and after falling throughthe current of gas to the bottom of the scrubber is withdrawn by the pump 8 and discharged through the pipe 9 into the scrubber 3 at its top. The water which has already absorbed heat from the gas in the scrubber 5 falls in a sprayorshower through the hot gas in the scrubber 3 and a portion or all of it is converted into steam. In case of the incomplete evaporation of the water in passing through the gas, any water reaching the bottom of the scrubber 3 may be returned by the pump 8 to the top of the scrubber and again passed through the hot gas. It will thus be seen that by regulating the supply of water to the scrubber 5 the sensible heat of the gas after leaving the producer may be efliciently utilized in the generation of steam. The steam generated in the scrubber 3, together with the necessary volume of gas, is drawn oli through the pipe 10 by a fan or other suitable device 11 and is forced through the pipe 12 into one of the stoves or superheaters 13, from which it is discharged into the producer 1 through the pipe 14: after having the desired amount of heat imparted to it in its passage through the stove or superheater. The superheaters 13 are adapted to be heated alternately by gas, which may be supplied from the pipe 2 through the pipes 15. The gas supplied through these pipes is burned in the stove, the requisite amount of air being supplied through any suitable form of burner in any well-known manner. Gas for giving the initial heat in starting the plant may be obtained from any suitable source of gas-such, for instance, as a small distillation plant-and thereafter the gas used for heating the stoves may be taken either from the system or from such a supplementalproducer, or, ifdesired, other forms of fuel may be employed in starting the plant. After one of the stoves or superheaters has been heated the gas from the scrubber is passed through it in order to absorb heat before reaching the producer, and during this time the other stove or superheater is being opened, and the mixed gas and steam is heated by passing therethrough while the first superheater is being supplied with heat.

It will be seen that in the producer I employ steam, which is generated within the system in a very efficient manner-that is, by actual contact and mixture of the hot gas and Water-41nd the heat utilized for this purpose is the sensible heat of the gas discharged from the producer, and which therefore is not permitted to go to waste. The steam after being charged into the producer is decomposed, and the heat necessary to the endothermic reaction by which this decomposition is etfected is supplied by the heated gas with which the steam is mixed and which has been charged into the producer with it. There is no necessity for otherwise supplying heat to the producer, and the supply of gas or of steam and gas to the producer is continuous, so that the generation of gas from the carbonaceous material or from the steam and carbonaceous material goes on uninterruptedly, and the result is a continuous generation of gas. My invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of apparatus shown. In my process by means of this carrier, which is not foreign to the materials employed or produced, I am enabled to generate the heat necessary to carry on the endothermic reaction in the most economical manner and to take up this heat and carry it to the interior of the producer in ahighly efficient manner. This advantage is equally beneficial. in the production of water-gas or distilled gas. By diluting my equivalent of steam I am enabled to lower the dissociation-point of the steam or to increase its rate of dissociation at any given temperature.

The invention claimed is' I 1. The hereinbefore-described process of manufacturing gas which consists in heating a quantity of gas, transmitting the same to the gas-producer thereby augmenting the volume of gas, passing the augmented volume of gas through a steam-generator thereby conserving a portion of the heat thereof, conducting a portion of the augmented volume of gas to a holder or consuming apparatus circulating the remainder thereof to the heating device whereby it is reheated and continuously repeating the said operation.

2. The hereinbefore-described process of manufacturing gas which consists in heating a portion of the gas produced, passing the same through a producer thereby augmenting the volume of gas product therein conserving a portion of the heat of the augmented volume of gas by generating steam thereby, further conserving the heat of the gas by heating water thereby, drawing off a portion of the volume of gas approximately equivalent in amount to that added to it in the producer, reheating the remainder thereof and repeating the process.

3. The hereinbefore-described process of manufacturing water-gas Which consists in raising a determinable amount of gas to a producing temperature, passing the same when so heated through the producer, generating steam by the sensible heat of the gas thus circulated, withdrawing a determinable amount of the augmented-volume of gas from circulation, reheating the remainder thereof and continuing its circulation through the producer, and adding thereto a determinable amount of the steam thus generated.

4:. The hereinbefore-described process of manufacturing Water-gas which consists in passing into the producer a heated volume of gas and a determinable amount of steam for making gas thereby increasing the volume of gas, passing the augmented volume of gas through a steam-generator thereby partially cooling the same, withdrawing a determinable amountof the gas and reheating the remainder thereof and causing the reheated gas to again traverse the producer.

'5. The hereinbefore-described process of manufacturing water-gas which consists in passing into the producer a heated volume of gas and a determinable amount of steam for making gas, thereby increasing the volume of gas, passing the augmented volume of gas through a steam-generator thereby partially cooling the same, withdrawing a determinable amount of the gas, passing the same through a condenser thereby further cooling the same, and heating water, reheating the remainder of the gas causing the reheated gas to again traverse the producer and simultaneously transferring heated water to the steam-generator.

Signed at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, this 1st day of October, A. D. 1900.

WILLIAM JOHN KNOX.

Witnesses:

R. J. BRATTON, GHAs. F. MILLER. 

